Entry Requirement
General
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Study Plan
Suggested Academic Plan for PhD Students
Suggested Academic Plan for Masters by Research Mode Students
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Renewal of Registration and Course(s) Registration
(https://ips.usm.my/index.php/current-student v2/candidature-matters/renewal-registration)
Students must be aware of the semester duration and the academic session. If you are registering at the end of the semester, you still need to renew the registration, and follow the renewal process as it is. For example:
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Renewal of Registration and Course(s) Registration
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Research Mode
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Prerequisite Course
Malaysian Culture and Malay Language (LKM111)
Compulsory for all international students and must be passed before graduation. The minimum required passing grade is C. Registration for the course is through the Online Registration System (ORSPG) during the stipulated time for course registration. Classes are online and accessible through the student e-learning portal.
Exemption can be given to students who have taken and passed the equivalent course. An application for exemption must be submitted to the Dean, School of Languages, Literacies, and Translation, for approval.
For any enquiries, please e-mail to
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Research Methodology for Research Mode Students
Synopsis
This course aims to develop students’ research and analytical skills. In enhancing students’ paradigms of research methodology in the social sciences, this course is designed to deepen the understanding of research strategies and philosophies as well as the underlying debates. Students will also be equipped with the logic of inquiry as well as the ethics to guide their research process. Emphasis will also be given to the knowledge of research design, data collection, foundational data analysis, and report writing. While deliberating on the quantitative and qualitative methods, the course includes an overview of specific methodological approaches. It also gives special attention to the practical knowledge of the research process and prepares students to conduct their own basic research projects. Students will complete the course with a better understanding of the ways to conduct their own research in various fields. This is a foundational course that will prepare students for advanced research courses in their chosen fields.
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Requirement
A student is required to attend all 14 weeks of scheduled lectures, which include participation in research seminar activities (events) and student presentation sessions. In addition, a student must complete two (2) written assignments. One of these must be an individually prepared research proposal that demonstrates the student’s ability to formulate a research question, conduct a literature review, and outline an appropriate methodological approach. Student is also expected to deliver two presentations related to their assignments.
CANDIDATURE MATTERS
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Postponement of Studies
Postponement of studies is only allowed after registration and completion of at least one (1) semester, except for medical or valid personal reasons. Students are allowed to postpone their studies maximum of two (2) semesters throughout the entire duration of the candidature period. Postponement application must be submitted through CampusOnline portal.
Tuition and Retaining Fees charges are subjected to the date of postponement application:
Note: Retaining Fee is to ensure student’s candidature status remain ACTIVE
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Conversion of Status
Student can apply for conversion of status from full-time to part-time or vice versa. Application must be made using the Conversion of Status Form available at https://ips.usm.my/index.php/download/candidature
The conversion of status is only permitted twice during the entire period of candidature.
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Conversion of Degree Level
Research mode Masters degree students are eligible to apply for conversion to Doctor of Philosophy level. Students can apply for conversion within the first 12 months (full-time student) or 24 months (part-time student) from registration date by submitting an official request to the School/Centre/Institute.
Students are required to submit the development of research progress proposal to be evaluated by the main supervisor and present the research output in a seminar. The School/Centre/Institute may request the student to sit for examination (if necessary).
The application will be reviewed by the School/Centre/Institute and endorsed by the University. Student candidature for Doctor of Philosophy will be calculated from the registration date of Master’s degree.
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Extension of Candidature
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Withdrawal from The Programme
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Change of Mode of Study
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Termination of Candidature
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Reactivation of Candidature
All students may reactivate their candidature within 1 year after termination subjected to period of candidature. Reactivation for research mode student (terminated due to maximum period of candidature) will only be considered if the student submits draft of thesis within one (1) year from the date of maximum candidature. The reactivation of the candidature is subjected to the decision of the University.
PREPARATION, SUBMISSION AND EXAMINATION OF THESIS FOR RESEARCH MODE STUDENT
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Thesis Format Guideline
The thesis format guideline is available at the IPS website. This guide is to facilitate the processes involved in the submission of the thesis. The format of the thesis should include the following;
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Notice of Submission of Thesis
Masters or PhD student is required to submit the Notice of Submission of Thesis form, at least three (3) months prior to submitting copy of the draft thesis. A student’s status must be active during the submission of this notice.
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Submission of Draft Thesis
Submission of a thesis must be made after a candidate has fulfilled the minimum period of candidature. IPS will not accept any thesis that has not been written following the prescribed format. Format checking must be made at the IPS before submitting the draft thesis.
Students are required to submit a soft copy of the draft thesis, from the first to the last chapter, for Turnitin screening to the respective School, Centre, or Institute.
The Draft Thesis Submission Form must be completed properly.
Should there be any changes to the thesis title, written confirmation from the main supervisor and approval from the respective Dean/Director of the School/Centre/Institute need to be obtained before the thesis is submitted to the IPS on the respective campus.
Payment of the Thesis Examination Fee must be made, and a copy of the receipt should be submitted to IPS together with the draft thesis.
For more information on submission of draft thesis in softcopy, please refer to https://ips.usm.my/index.php/download/viva-voce
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Viva Voce (Oral Examination)
In general, the purpose of the viva-voce is to demonstrate the originality of student’s work and to ensure understanding of the research and defend it verbally. The student must answer question(s) in such a way as to demonstrate sufficient knowledge of the subject to pass the viva-voce.
Students must attend the viva-voce to defend their research. It is compulsory for students to be ready at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled viva-voce session.
Viva-voce results are as follows:
Scale 1 – Pass A student is awarded a Doctor of Philosophy/Master’s Degree
Scale 2 – Pass with minor corrections A student is awarded Doctor of Philosophy/Master’s Degree subject to changes/corrections to the thesis as listed in the Viva-voce Panel Report.
Scale 3 – Pass with major changes/corrections A student is awarded Doctor of Philosophy/Master’s Degree subject to changes/corrections to the thesis as listed in the Viva-voce Panel Report. The thesis MUST be revised and verified by the Viva-voce Panel after the student has made the changes/corrections.
Scale 4 – Re-examination (Re-viva) A student is allowed to re-submit the thesis for re-examination after the candidate has made the changes/corrections to the thesis as required in the Viva-voce Panel Report. The thesis MUST be re- examined and the candidate MUST attend another viva-voce. The result will be only PASS or FAIL.
Scale 5 – Fail A student is not eligible to be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy/Master’s Degree and is not allowed to re- submit the thesis for examination.
After the viva-voce, a student must obtain the result of the viva-voce and report for making the necessary corrections and improvements from the viva-voce Secretary. Student will be given a specific period to correct and complete the thesis before submitting the final copy. The period given for correction includes checking for corrections, endorsement by the assigned Panel, and submission of the final copy to IPS.
In any case, if a student is required by the Viva-voce Panel to resubmit the thesis for re-examination, student must complete the Re-submission of Thesis Form to IPS.
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Submission of Final Thesis
When all corrections have been made and incorporated into the thesis, a student is required to complete the Final Thesis Submission Form to IPS. 15 Postgraduate Student Handbook For more information on submission of final thesis in softcopy, please refer to https://ips.usm.my/index.php/download/viva-voce
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Student Thesis’s Copyright and University’s Intellectual Property
The copyright to a thesis belongs to the student. However, as a condition of being awarded the degree, the student hereby grants to the University, a free, ongoing, non-exclusive right to use the relevant work and/or thesis for the University's teaching, research and promotional purposes as well as free and the non-exclusive right to retain, re-produce, display and distribute a limited number of copies of the thesis, together with the right to require its publication for further research and archival use.
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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as the act of presenting, quoting, copying, paraphrasing or passing off of ideas, images, processes, works, data, own words or those of other people or sources without proper acknowledgement, reference or quotation to the original source(s). The acts of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following;
- Quoting verbatim word for word replication of work of other people.
- Paraphrasing another person’s work by changing some of the words, or the order of the words, without due acknowledgement of the source(s).
- Submitting another person’s work in whole or part as one’s own.
- Auto-plagiarising or self-plagiarising one’s own previous work or work that has already been submitted for assessment or for any other academic award and pass it as a new creation without citing the original content.
- Insufficient or misleading referencing of the source(s) that would enable the reader to check whether any particular work has indeed been cited accurately and/or fairly and thus identify the original writer’s particular contribution in the work submitted.
Any other acts, which in the opinion of the University, fall into the plagiarism definition.
For more information on USM Policy on Plagiarism, please refer to https://ips.usm.my/index.php/current-student-v2/others/usm-policy-on-plagiarism
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
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Research Mode student must comply with the following graduation requirements
- Fulfill the minimum duration of candidature;
- Pass the pre-requisite courses (if any) as determined by the School/Centre/Institute;
- Must obtain minimum grade C for Malaysian Culture and Malay Language (LKM111). This course is compulsory for all international students;
- Pass the Research Methodology course;
- Fulfill the publication requirements as below;
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Authorship
Publications accepted must be published with the supervisor(s). The candidate must be the first student author. Only the first student author is allowed to use this article to fulfil his/her graduation requirement.
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Plagiarism
Plagiarized article will not be accepted for graduation requirement.
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Topic of Publications
Publications accepted must be related to his/her thesis/dissertation.
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Submission of Final Thesis
When all corrections have been made and incorporated into the thesis, a student is required to complete the Final Thesis Submission Form to IPS. 15 Postgraduate Student Handbook For more information on submission of final thesis in softcopy, please refer to https://ips.usm.my/index.php/download/viva-voce
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Student Thesis’s Copyright and University’s Intellectual Property
The copyright to a thesis belongs to the student. However, as a condition of being awarded the degree, the student hereby grants to the University, a free, ongoing, non-exclusive right to use the relevant work and/or thesis for the University's teaching, research and promotional purposes as well as free and the non-exclusive right to retain, re-produce, display and distribute a limited number of copies of the thesis, together with the right to require its publication for further research and archival use.
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Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as the act of presenting, quoting, copying, paraphrasing or passing off of ideas, images, processes, works, data, own words or those of other people or sources without proper acknowledgement, reference or quotation to the original source(s). The acts of plagiarism include, but are not limited to, the following;
- Quoting verbatim word for word replication of work of other people.
- Paraphrasing another person’s work by changing some of the words, or the order of the words, without due acknowledgement of the source(s).
- Submitting another person’s work in whole or part as one’s own.
- Auto-plagiarising or self-plagiarising one’s own previous work or work that has already been submitted for assessment or for any other academic award and pass it as a new creation without citing the original content.
- Insufficient or misleading referencing of the source(s) that would enable the reader to check whether any particular work has indeed been cited accurately and/or fairly and thus identify the original writer’s particular contribution in the work submitted.
Any other acts, which in the opinion of the University, fall into the plagiarism definition.
For more information on USM Policy on Plagiarism, please refer to https://ips.usm.my/index.php/current-student-v2/others/usm-policy-on-plagiarism
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Topic of Publications
Publications accepted must be related to his/her thesis/dissertation.
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Affiliation
Publications accepted must carry Universiti Sains Malaysia affiliation.
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Blacklisted Journals
Publications in the following journals are NOT accepted: https://lib.usm.my/index.php/academicians-researchers/scholarly-publishing guide?view=article&id=293&catid=35
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Journal Verification
GRADUATION-IN-COUNCIL (GIC)
GIC is a policy on the submission of degree scrolls and academic transcripts to the graduates after graduation approval by the Senate. Terms and Conditions:
- Graduates are required to settle all outstanding debts with the University (tuition fees, accommodation fees, library, etc).
- All applications are subject to the approval of the Registrar.
- The degree scroll and academic transcripts will be given after 14 working days from the date of approval.
- GiC graduates are permitted to attend the Convocation Ceremony.
Once graduated, graduands can submit GiC application through CampusOnline portal.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
University provides student support services to enhance postgraduate student knowledge and values. Below are the services provided:
Professional and Personal Development (PPD) Programmes
PPD is series of workshops provided to research mode students to equip them with the essential knowledge that they may need throughout their research journey and skills after graduation. The workshops/seminars under this programme are conducted by expert speakers. List of modules are available at https://ips.usm.my/index.php/current-student-v2/others/workshops
CONFERENCE FUND
Postgraduate Student Handbook The fund is to assist research mode student to participate and present their research findings at any local or international conference. USM will cover a portion of total payment comprises of conference fees/accommodation/transportation. Eligibility to receive the fund is only once during the student candidature subject to the availability of the funding.
STUDENT CARD (ID)
A student card is issued to all registered USM postgraduate students upon completion of the registration process. This card is non-transferable and are for the following purposes:
- Identification/security check for entry and movement within the campuses
- Access to and use of University facilities (i.e. Library, Laboratory, Recreation and Sports, etc.)
- Examination (accessible to examination venue)
- Medical treatment at the University’s Wellness Centre/Panel Clinics or Hospitals Other related matters pertaining to immigration authorities and police
DRESS CODE
Students must observe the rules for the stipulated dress code of the University and be appropriately attired at all times.
Formal attire
Students are required to wear formal attire at any official functions/activities. Students will be denied entry if they fail to adhere to this ruling.
Casual attire
Students are not allowed to wear casual attire for official functions/activities. Students should wear appropriate attire according to the activities. Female students are strictly not allowed to wear sleeveless shirts, miniskirts or extremely short of shorts and revealing/skimpy clothes. Flip flops should not be worn by all students while attending classes or interviews, visiting University departments, etc. Male students should not have long hair that touches the collar.
Sports attire (shorts) can be used for areas allocated for sports only.
Laboratory coats are meant for working in the laboratories only.
